1976
AMATEUR DRAFT
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1976 DRAFT QUICK FACTS
DATE: MAY 27, 1976

LOCATION: NHL HEADQUARTERS (MONTREAL)
DRAFT HISTORY
The 14th NHL Amateur Draft was expected to be a disappointment because financial concerns again dominated the event. By June of 1976, at least two NHL teams, the Kansas City Scouts and California Golden Seals were in an economic shambles, and both would eventually relocate to new cities in the weeks following the draft. With so many problems facing the league, it was generally agreed that money could be saved by cutting down the number of draft choices and limiting pre-training camp contract offers to first-round draft picks, while forcing all other picks to earn their contracts in training camp.

Kansas City's problems were especially severe on draft day. The 2-year-old Scouts had failed to attract a local buyer and were essentially out of cash until another ownership group was willing to purchase the team. As a result, Kansas City had little organization in its front office on draft day, and was clearly the poster child for financial hardship.

Once again, the draft was conducted via conference call from the NHL's Montreal office in order to preserve its secrecy and save money. This time, the new Central Scouting Service, directed by former Pittsburgh general manager Jack Button, took some extra pressure off NHL teams. The CSS, which would become one of the NHL's most important institutions, rated the top prospects from each of the Canadian major-junior leagues and U.S. colleges. This helped save on scouting expenses, while also creating a much-needed consensus in the scouting ranks. As a result, the 1976 draft's early rounds produced a far better crop than what had come out of the 1975 draft even though both drafts had lost several of their best prospects when the NHL had allowed the one-time selection of 18- and 19-year-olds in 1974.

Despite vows of fiscal responsibility, NHL teams could not make good on all their promises. While they did limit the total number of draft picks to 135 -- a big drop from 217 in 1975 -- they continued the off-season practice of offering contracts to all levels of draftees. These contracts were generally not as inflated as they had been in past years, enabling teams to show more off-season control over expenses.

Within three weeks of the draft, nine of the 18 first-round picks, as well as several picks from other rounds, had signed NHL contracts. More signings trickled in over the summer as the NHL clearly won its annual battle with the WHA in signing the vast majority of the top talent.

The draft's most notable selection came when California made history by taking Swedish defenseman Bjorn Johansson with the No. 5 overall pick. Johansson became the first European-trained player to be picked in the first round of an NHL draft. A total of eight European players were drafted, with four of them eventually making it to the NHL. This group included future NHL All-Stars Kent Nilsson and Thomas Gradin.

While there were no big winners at the 1976 draft due to its limitations, the big loser was the WHA, which continued to suffer in its bid for survival and credibility. The WHA had scrambled to move the first five rounds of its 1976 draft up to May 17 in order to have more lead time for enticing players before the NHL draft, but the earlier draft, which conflicted with its own playoff championship round, was a complete failure. Even Randy Carlyle, a first-rounder that the WHA thought it had locked up for the 1976-77 season, turned his back on the league after being picked by Toronto in the NHL draft's second round. The handwriting was already on the wall for the rival league, which would survive for just another three seasons before merging with the NHL.

THE BASICS
Eligible For Draft: All amateur players born before January 1, 1957.
Draft Order: Teams drafted in reverse order of their 1975-76 finish.
Irregularities:  There was no set number of rounds. Teams had the right to pass in any round, and the draft continued until all teams were done selecting. Toronto passed on its option to use Pittsburgh's first-round pick, instead saving it for the 1977 draft. Kansas City, California, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, N.Y. Islanders, Buffalo and Boston passed in Round 7. Minnesota, N.Y. Rangers, Chicago, Toronto and Philadelphia passed in Round 8. Washington, Detroit and Vancouver passed in Round 9. Montreal passed in Round 14, leaving only St. Louis to pick in Rounds 14 and 15.
Rotation: Washington, Kansas City, Minnesota, Detroit, California, N.Y. Rangers, St. Louis, Vancouver, Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Los Angeles, N.Y. Islanders, Buffalo, Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal.
Total Rounds: Fifteen
Cost to Draft: The NHL paid the CMJHL $1,000 for each major-junior player selected, plus another $4,000 for each player who signed an NHL contract. Every time a drafted player completed a set of 40 NHL games (up to 120 games), his NHL team would pay $5,000 to his last major-junior team. No NHL team was required to pay more than $15,000 of this "developmental" money for any single player.
Draft Rights: Team could offer player contract at any time after draft.
DRAFT RECAP
No. 1 pick: Rick Green (by Washington)
Reached NHL: 73 players (54.1 percent)
Won Stanley Cup: 8 players (5.9 percent)
Most NHL Games: Randy Carlyle (1,055 games)
Most Playoff Games: Ken Morrow (127 games)
Highest Pick to Miss: No. 18 (Bruce Baker)
Lowest Pick to Reach: No. 134 (Anders Hakansson)
Players Drafted: 135 (83 forwards, 39 defense, 13 goalies)

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SNAPSHOT '76
Total Selected: 135
Forwards: 83
Defense: 39
Goaltenders: 13
Major Junior: 97
College Players: 26
Canadian: 103
Euro-Canadian: 1
USA Citizens: 23
U.S.-Born: 23
European: 8
Reached NHL: 73
Won Stanley Cup: 8
Hall of Fame: 1
All-Star Game: 12
Year-end All-Star: 2
Olympians: 6
Picks Traded: 15
 
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